The Gov Reads the Patriot Act Differently

Two senators claimed on Thursday that the Justice Department had secretly interpreted the so-called Patriot Act in a twisted way, enabling domestic surveillance activities that many members of Congress do not understand.
[...]
During the debate, Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat and a member of the Intelligence Committee, said that the executive branch had come up with a secret legal theory about what it could collect under a provision of the Patriot Act that did not seem to dovetail with a plain reading of the text. “I want to deliver a warning this afternoon: When the American people find out how their government has secretly interpreted the Patriot Act, they will be stunned and they will be angry,” Mr. Wyden said. He invoked the public’s reaction to the illegal domestic spying that came to light in the mid-1970s, the Iran-contra affair, and the Bush administration’s program of surveillance without warrants.

Another member of the Intelligence Committee, Senator Mark Udall, Democrat of Colorado, backed Mr. Wyden’s account, saying, “Americans would be alarmed if they knew how this law is being carried out.”
[...]
The Obama administration declined to explain what the senators were talking about.

Hold on, didn’t Obama have something to say about Patriot Act abuses when running for office? Maybe there was an expiration date on those promises?

Dick is Gettin' Charged

Dick Cheney To Be Charged In KBR/Halliburton Bribery Scandal

If you've read “Confessions of an Economic Hitman” you're not surprised by this news. Remember, Dick Cheney is so bad-ass, when he shoots people they apologize to him.

From the story:

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said yesterday it was charging former United States Vice-President Dick Cheney over the bribery scandal involving an engineering firm, KBR, a subsidiary of Halliburton. Before assuming duties as the vice-president of the US, Cheney was the chief executive officer of Halliburton from 1995-2000.

Cheney was vice-president to President George W Bush between 2001 and 2009. Bush was succeeded by President Barack Obama.

An arrest warrant “will be issued and transmitted through Interpol”, EFCC prosecuting counsel Godwin Obla said.

The firm, KBR, had admitted bribing Nigerian government officials over the construction of a liquefied natural gas plant in Nigeria.

Spokesman of the EFCC, Femi Babafemi, said charges would be preferred against the former vice-president next week. He said the charges were “not unconnected to his role as the chief executive of Halliburton”.

See that part where it says "Nigeria is making the charge" ? Nigerians are experts on what constitutes fraud. And Dick Cheney is so bad-ass he scams Nigerians!

Dick Bump

And now... Dick Cheney in a bumper car, circa 1976

Not shown is the eight year old under his rear bumper.

Polls and Prostates

A new Gallup poll reveals Dick Cheney is more popular than Nancy Pelosi...

...much in the same way that prostate exams are more popular than colonoscopies.

Bush Light

Obama says the US "lost its way" fighting terror, reassuring his antsy progressive base who are beginning to suspect that on terror, he may be Bush Light. (link)

Wait, so all that posturing and anti-Bush self-righteous rhetoric slandering Bush the last eight years was nothing more than politics? No!

The reality of this issue, is that Obama said they were going to come here. Supermax prisons? Oh, well he didn't say that. He said they're getting "released" here. And everyone went batnuts over the idea. And the Democrats lost a battle.

And now Obama is so awesome that he can even make Karl Rove happy: "Barack Obama inherited a set of national-security policies that he rejected during the campaign but now embraces as president. This is a stunning and welcome about-face." (link)

Now that the revolting Senate Democrats are telling him he can't have money to shut down Gitmo, MAYBE, that wasn't such a good idea - and MAYBE - there was a pretty good reason why the bad guys were put there in the first place? And MAYBE after hearing that 1-7 of the bad guys (link to that report) who were released end up going straight back into the fight - potentially killing innocents or American soldiers?

No word what the other six guys end up doing. Dentistry perhaps?

What amazes me is that ole' Mr. Personality, Dick Cheney is not only back in the news, he's able to shape and win the debate... oh, there's probably a cartoon for that - here you go....


Come on Obama voters, is this the Hope and Change you voted for? Is this what you were expecting?

Me, I thought the second Obama and the Congressional Democrats won, they'd put their war helmets on, put John Kerry in an important committee and declare that the war had been fought incorrectly, and now it's their turn to do it right - then they'd pull a couple FDR references and fight the war "correctly."

Hey, they own it now. It's all theirs. Gitmo, Afghanistan [not as much Iraq, for some reason] and Iran. It's theirs. They wanted the job, and they got it. But how come they are still using Bush's playbook, and listening to the fired coach? That's the better question.

Cheney gets a pep talk from Bush

Meanwhile...

Meanwhile, from the DEBKA site:

The USS Enterprise CVN 65-Big E Strike Group will join the USS Stennis and the USS Nimitz carriers, building up the largest sea, air, marine concentration the United States has ever deployed opposite Iran. This goes towards making good on the assurances of four (!!) carriers US Vice President Dick Cheney offered the Gulf and Middle East nations during his May tour of the region.

Follow This LINK - for important information on how to survive the weekend. Also, it's the MP3 of the actual record released by TOPS. Enjoy!